WhatsApp Business for client communication: setup, templates and rules

WhatsApp Business is Meta's version of WhatsApp for organisations. It comes in two forms: the free WhatsApp Business app, which runs on a phone and suits one person or a small front desk, and the WhatsApp Business Platform (often called the API), which connects WhatsApp to other software such as a shared inbox, a booking system or an AI assistant. Which one you need depends on how many people answer messages and how much you want to automate.

App or Platform: which fits your business

Meta changes prices, limits and features from time to time, so check its current business documentation before you commit to a setup. A sensible path for many businesses is to start with the app, learn which questions come in, and move to the Platform when one phone is no longer enough.

Setting up the Business app properly

1. Use a number that belongs to the business, not an employee's personal number, so conversation history stays with the organisation when people move on.
2. Complete the business profile: name, category, a short description, address if clients visit you, opening hours, email and website.
3. Write a greeting message that says who is answering and what the channel is for, for example appointment questions but not clinical concerns.
4. Set an away message with your hours and an alternative for urgent matters, such as your phone line or contact form.
5. Create quick replies for the questions you answer every day: directions, parking, what to bring to a first session, how to reschedule. Typing a forward slash in a chat brings up the list.
6. Use labels such as new enquiry, awaiting documents, booked and follow up, so no conversation is forgotten.
7. Add a WhatsApp button to your website using a wa.me link, next to your phone button and contact form, so visitors can choose.

Message templates and the 24-hour window

On the Platform, when a client sends you a message, a customer service window opens for 24 hours. Within it you can reply freely. Outside it, you can only start a conversation with a message template that Meta has approved. Templates are grouped into categories, mainly utility (confirmations, reminders, updates about something the client asked for), marketing (offers, new course dates, newsletters) and authentication (one-time codes). Categories are priced differently, and Meta may re-classify a template it thinks is in the wrong category.

Good templates are short, specific and useful to the person receiving them. Placeholders in double braces are filled in for each client. Some examples for people-focused businesses:

• Hello {{1}}, this is a reminder of your appointment on {{2}} at {{3}}. Reply 1 to confirm or 2 if you need to change it.
• Hello {{1}}, we still need {{2}} to complete your registration for {{3}}. You can upload it securely here: {{4}}
• Hi {{1}}, thank you for applying for the {{2}} role. A recruiter will contact you by {{3}}.
• Hello {{1}}, your course materials for {{2}} are ready. You will find them in your learner area.

Note what these do not contain: diagnoses, salary negotiations, identity numbers or anything else that would cause harm if the wrong person saw the phone screen.

Rules that protect your clients and your number

• Get opt-in first. Meta's policies require that people have agreed to receive WhatsApp messages from your business before you contact them. Record when and how they agreed, for instance a checkbox on your booking form.
• Honour opt-outs straight away. If someone asks you to stop, stop, and update your records so automated reminders stop too.
• Keep sensitive data out of chat. For clinics, health information is special category data under Article 9 of the GDPR. For recruiters, identity and right-to-work documents need care. Ask for them through a secure form or portal and use WhatsApp only to point people there.
• Mention WhatsApp in your privacy notice. Explain that you use it, for what purpose and how long you keep messages.
• Do not message bought or scraped lists. Unwanted messages lead to blocks and reports, which can lower your number's quality rating and restrict what you can send.
• Protect the account. Turn on two-step verification and decide who in the business controls the number.

Making WhatsApp part of a wider workflow

WhatsApp is a conversation channel, not a records system. If decisions or agreements happen in chat, copy the outcome into your client file, CRM or applicant tracking system. Otherwise the history lives on one phone and is hard to find later.

Once volume grows, an AI assistant connected through the Platform can answer routine questions inside the 24-hour window, collect structured details and hand the conversation to the right person. The quality of that depends on the questions it asks, which we cover in designing AI intake that collects the right information. Keep a human route visible at all times; some clients will always prefer to talk to a person or to use email.

Where to start

If you are a small practice, set up the app this week using the steps above. If several people answer messages, or you want reminders and an assistant, look at our AI intake and automation service, which is scoped and quoted in writing. The website and contact buttons themselves come with our hosting packages. Not sure which route fits? Describe how your team uses WhatsApp today and we will reply within one business day.

Questions and answers

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